Benet Spencer creates heavily collaged paintings of imaginary landscapes that are inhabited by animals, plants, and high-tech architecture. His process is partly reliant on computer-generated images that use pattern and repetition in the development of layered and densely constructed paintings.
Influences and starting-points include the relationship between Eastern and Western Art, traveling in the Far East and the teeming energy of its cities and countryside, European culture, and the history of art and design.
Whilst relating to the tradition of landscape painting these works also read as Sci-Fi dystopias. An imaginary vision of the modern world is offered that is a confused and saturated experience, a vision that is held in check through the elegance and refining nature of the painting process.
Recent Exhibitions
‘SAXON’
Schwatz Gallery, London
10th September - 4th October, 2009
Curated by Juan Bolivar
Featuring: Juan Bolivar, Mauro Bonacina, Tom Dale, Richard Ducker, Mathew Gooding, Stewart Gough, Andy Hsu, James Hopkins, Julian Hughes-Watts, Karl Marrow, Jost Munster, Pamela Richardson and Kevin Smith, John Richert, Angus Sanders-Dunnachie, Benet Spencer, John Stark, David Ben White, Leon Woolls, Neil Zakiewicz
www.schwartzgallery.co.uk
‘Reconstructing the Old House’
Nunnery Gallery, London, 4th - 26th April 2009
Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge, 9th - 31st October 2009
Curated by Benet Spencer
Featuring: Jo Addison, Gordon Cheung, Adam Gillam, Julian Hughes Watts, Kounosuke Kawakami, Max Mosscrop, Steven Rendall, Danny Rolph, Benet Spencer
Catalogue essay by David Ryan (Arts Council Funded)
www.bowarts.org/thenunnery
‘Drawing with Dolphins’
Crimestown Gallery, London
14th Feb – 8th March 2009
Curated by Marcus Cope and Stephanie Moran
Featuring: Lucy Annat, Michael Bartlett, Christopher Bond, Charlotte Bracegirdle, Ruth Calland, Graham Carrick, Brian Dawn Chalkley, Louisa Chambers, Brian Cheesewright, Lawrence Chiles, Marcus Cope, Martyn Cross, Zoe Crosse, Herzog Dellafiore, Louisa Durose, Howard Dyke, Tom Eastop, Giles Eldridge, Karl England, Nogah Engler, Michele Fletcher, Gabo, Nina Gehl, Ian Gonczarow, Emilia Holt, Ian Jarvis, Tom Levy, Marisol Malatesta, Yorgo Manis, Kevin Mason, Rachel Moran, Stephanie Moran, Laura Morrison, Liz Murray, Simon Ould, Eve Peasnall, Yelena Popova, Kelly Pretty, Clare Price, Joseph Richards, Kes Richardson, Deborah Rigby, Dai Roberts, Paul Robinson, David Rodrigues, Joe Schneider, Liam Scully, Benet Spencer, Christopher Stevens, Dana Suckling, Lex Thomas, Mimei Thompson, Carina Thoren, Tom Toof, Ross Walker, Jonathan Waller, Jemma Watts, Steven Westbury, Henry Whysall, John Yeadon, Eleni Zagkali
www.crimestown.co.uk
‘World’s End, Future Perfect’
Carlton Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
13th March – 5th April, 2008
Curated by Steven Rendall and Meredith Turnbull
Featuring: Nadine Christensen, Ross Coulter, Eleanor Crook, Greg Creek, Leslie Eastman, Sean Loughrey, Max Mosscrop, Simon Pereich, Steven Rendall, Benet Spencer, Meredith Turnbull, Lisa Young
www.thecarlton.com.au/gallery
FantasyIsland, Metropole Galleries, Folkestone
14 Jan – 26 Feb 2006
Curated by Benet Spencer; Featuring: Phillip Allen, Geraint Evans, James Ireland, Benet Spencer, Johnny de Veras
http://www.metropole.org.uk
The 10th Planet, Tower Bridge Business Complex, London
2 - 18 June 2006
Curated by Julian Hughes Watts; Featuring: Sam Basu, Juan Bolivar, Gordon Cheung, Geraint Evans, Pete Fowler, Anthony Gross, Kounosuke Kawakami, David Kefford, Hirome Komai, Rui Matsunaga, Alex Gene Morrison, Office of Experiments, Stephen Pierce, Steven Rendall, Benet Spencer, Bill Stewart, Julian Hughes Watts, Willem Weismann
Inaugural Cube Noir Gallery, The Albany, Liverpool
14 Sept -19 Nov 2006
Curated by Gareth Kemp; Featuring: Peter Edge, Paul Elliker, Tim Ellis, Laird Galbraith, David Hancock, Gareth Kemp, Jonathan Owen, Luke Smith, Benet Spencer, Nick Sykes, Gina Ward
Seeking Tacit Utopias, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
27 Oct – 25 Nov 2006
Curated by Thomas M. Wright; Featuring: Andrew Bracey, Matthew Brown, Ross Chisholm, Katarina Forss, Andy Jackson, Elena Kopenkova, Ryan Mosley, Benet Spencer, Ian Whitfield, James Wright, Thomas M. Wright.